Summary
- Sam Hazeldine discusses what it was like taking over the role of Adar from Joseph Mawle in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2.
- Hazeldine praises showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for making the transition easy and hints at a significant role for Adar.
- Sauron's return to Mordor sets the stage for Adar's storyline in the episodes, as the two seem destined to clash.
The Rings of Power season 2 will see Hazeldine take over the role. This comes as Sauron returns to the newly-created Mordor as well.
Speaking with Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con, Hazeldine described what it was like taking over the role of Adar from Mawle in The Rings of Power season 2. The actor described how showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay made the transition easy, also hinting at how big his role will be in the forthcoming episodes. Check out what Hazeldine had to say below:
Well, I had a lot of conversations with [showrunners] J.D. [Payne] and Patrick [McKay] before we started about how we wanted to approach that. And luckily, I really enjoyed what Joseph [Mawle] did in the first season, and Adar was probably my favorite character. [To his co-stars] No offense [laughs]. So it's actually a pleasure to kind of take the mantle and carry on from there. We don't look alike, but it's very clearly the same character, so I don't think it was a... it's not a big problem for an audience. And yes, we wanted to make it kind of as relatively seamless as possible, and... yeah, Adar has a lot to do in this season, so it was kind of straight out of the blocks and into it.
Why The Rings Of Power Season 2 Recast Season 1's Villain, Adar
Adar serves as the villain in the Rings of Power season 1, but Joseph Mawle’s role was recast for season 2. Why is a new actor taking over?
Adar Will Be A Formidable Opponent in The Rings Of Power Season 2
During the end of The Rings of Power season 1, Adar turned the Southlands into Mordor, using his army of Orcs to take the land for himself. However, he also insists that he is Sauron’s enemy, meaning he has no plans to give the dark land to the core antagonist upon his return. This means a major conflict is likely ahead, with the corrupted Elf bringing his armies to battle in an attempt to earn victory over the land. However, history indicates his battle isn’t going to go the way he envisions.
The Rings of Power’s timeline is set during the Second Age, long before The Lord of the Rings, wherein Sauron is the ruler of Mordor. This indicates Adar is destined to lose, his Orc armies likely falling under the command of his former master in the future. However, Sauron is currently at his weakest, with no armies to speak of, meaning the Elf will be a formidable foe throughout season 2. Given his sway, it’s possible he’ll continue to show up, even after the dark lands are no longer his.
Adar also isn’t one of The Rings of Power’s characters from Tolkien’s work, his status as an original creation making it impossible to predict how great a threat he’ll be. His presence will add a complexity to Sauron’s story in season 2, with Hazeldine no doubt offering a similarly cryptic performance as Mawle first established. With the Elf serving as such a unique antagonist in the series, it remains to be seen just how malevolent his presence will be in the coming episodes.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 episodes 1-3 arrive on Prime Video on August 29, 2024.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Release Date
- September 1, 2022
- Network
- Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
- John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip
Cast
Galadriel
Halbrand
WHERE TO WATCH
Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power explores the forging of the iconic rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the epic events leading up to the stories in J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novels. The series chronicles the creation of legendary characters and the historic alliances and rivalries that shape the fate of Middle-earth.
- Directors
- J.A. Bayona, Sanaa Hamri
- Writers
- Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams
- Franchise(s)
- The Lord of the Rings
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video
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